OUR STORY
So here we are in 2015 with the gender gap in STEM fields (science, technology, engineering and math) still very far from resolution.
While women make up approximately 48% of the total workforce, we only account for 24% of the STEM workforce.[1]
Why is that?
My inner scientist has to fight the urge to provide a complex answer pointing to a pile of variables pulled from different facets of society... but there are a couple of specific reasons that motivate She Does Science.
1. The myth that girls are bad at math. I'm quite good at math, thank you very much, and so are my rockstar science besties. These negative stereotypes aren't just the sticks and stones of life that we should shrug off and ignore. Studies have shown that young girls perform statistically worse on tests if they're told that their inherent intelligence is being tested. If they are told that the same test is gender neutral - they do just as well as the boys![2]
2. We don't provide girls with role models to whom they can relate. Role models matter; everyone who has been lucky enough to benefit from a great role model will attest to that. But what's so specifically awesome about a great role model is that they can be a straightforward way to correct the "bad at math" myth![3] Remember the gender difference in testing I just told you about? This same effect is true for African American students.
Can you guess what happened when Barack Obama took office in 2009?
The gap narrowed significantly! [4]
She Does Science is all about providing young girls with relatable role models in STEM fields. We want the next generation of women to know that they are inherently intelligent and that anything they want to do with their brain is possible if they just try. We hope that the women highlighted in She Does Science can help to combat the stereotypes dished out to young girls by letting them know that they aren't alone and that science is awesome!